Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
